(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to intermittent combustion engines in which the combustion products are used as a motive fluid.
(ii) Background Information
Intermittent combustion engines in the form of pulse jet engines, such as those in U.S. Pat. No. 2,930,196 to Hertzberg et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,292 to Logan, are known. Pulse combustion in these prior art engines is deflagrative in nature.
A deflagration combustion process results in propagation velocities on the order of a few feet per second. A detonation process, by contrast, can result in propagation velocities on the order of several thousands of feet per second.
The use of a detonation combustion process in an engine has been suggested. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,154 to Eidelman shows a rotary engine using a detonation process.